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Child Access Prevention

Pennsylvania has no law that imposes a penalty on someone who fails to secure an unattended firearm and leaves it accessible to an unsupervised minor.

Safe Storage

Pennsylvania has no law that requires unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way.

Pennsylvania law prohibits a licensed firearms dealer from transferring a handgun or short-barreled rifle or shotgun unless he or she provides the transferee with a locking device, the transferee purchases a locking device, or the design of the handgun incorporates a locking device.1 “Locking device” is defined as either: 1) a device that, when installed on a firearm, is designed to prevent the firearm from being operated without first deactivating the device; or 2) a device that is incorporated into the design of a firearm and that is designed to prevent the operation of the firearm by anyone not having access to the device.2

Note that federal law contains a similar provision. However, no state statutes require firearm owners to affirmatively lock their weapons.

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

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